Indonesia’s reputation in the coffee industry is well known, being the fourth largest producer after Brazil, Vietnam and Columbia (2020). Specialty coffee shops have grown across the country, including in Bali where Aditya Rahman opened Babagoose Coffee (Instagram). In this interview, Aditya outlines his journey in coffee, providing recommendations for new joiners to the industry and an idea of how he intends to broaden the offering of his business.

When did you start your career in coffee and how did you come across the industry?
I joined the coffee industry as a fan when in 2015, I started to visit a friend's coffee shop and taste something new to me. Drinking milk-based coffee initially, but after a while single origin coffee too. This hobby developed into a love for coffee - I wanted to deepen my knowledge of single origin coffee.

One time I thought why I didn't start my own coffee business, of course, by learning from the right people, at that time I met someone named Hendra Susanto, the owner and founder of Beskaben. That's where I learned to make coffee and brew. my first single origin, well, it was Semendo from South Sumatra and until now i have been in the world of coffee i feel the pleasure of how i seek knowledge and increase knowledge in the field of coffee until now i have a coffee shop on the island of Bali.

What's the status of specialty coffee in Bali?
Specialty coffee such as single origin is in high demand even in mainstream Indonesia, judging from the data and the number of Indonesian single origin market demands. Coffee shops opening in several new areas shows the rapid growth of domestic consumption, specifically single origin in Bali at this time. The larger market of single origin enthusiasts means there are many new arabica beans from several regions, now available in Indonesian coffee shops.

What types of people are suited to working in coffee?
I think everyone can work in the coffee sector. It’s suited to both women and men, there are no certain requirements to become a barista because they just want to learn and keep learning. Because the development of coffee is accelerating each year, baristas with a passion can take responsibility for their careers.

If someone is new to coffee and looking to start out, what would you recommend they start with?
Someone going into the industry must first love coffee before learning the basic skills needed to do their trade. Early on, an ego can be a boomerang when starting in the coffee world.

Are there some central blog posts or websites that you go to gain more knowledge, develop further skills?
There is a lot of information and knowledge from several sources on the internet from several blog websites, then some content creators on Instagram and YouTube which I think are very helpful in developing my knowledge in the coffee field.

What's next for your career? What's on the horizon and what goals do you have for the coming three years?
I continue to commit to coffee so that I consistently provide the best coffee for my loyal customers, and continue to learn to improve my knowledge. I think in the next three years, I will also learn to roast my own coffee, so that I can make house blends for my own coffee shop. Then I will continue to develop and campaign for the healthy coffee movement so that many more people know how good coffee can be for us.

Learn more about Baboose and Aditya on Instagram via @babagoosecoffeebali